{"id":17530,"date":"2023-02-19T18:04:41","date_gmt":"2023-02-19T18:04:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/?p=17530"},"modified":"2025-04-21T07:16:19","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T07:16:19","slug":"billy-wilson-orbit-sonja-van-beers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2023\/02\/19\/billy-wilson-orbit-sonja-van-beers\/","title":{"rendered":"Billy Wilson Orbit: Sonja van Beers"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>Billy Wilson and Sonja van Beers<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><figure id=\"attachment_18815\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-18815\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/TheConstellationProject\/BillyWilson\/index.html#thisisSONJAVANBEERS\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-18815\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/billywilsonUthumb-300x171.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"171\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/billywilsonUthumb-300x171.png 300w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/billywilsonUthumb-230x131.png 230w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/billywilsonUthumb-350x200.png 350w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/billywilsonUthumb-480x274.png 480w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/billywilsonUthumb.png 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-18815\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/TheConstellationProject\/BillyWilson\/index.html#thisisSONJAVANBEERS\">Return Back to Billy Wilson&#8217;s orbit in The Constellation Project<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_17506\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-17506\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-17506 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/sonja-300x231.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"231\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/sonja-300x231.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/sonja-230x177.jpg 230w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/sonja-350x269.jpg 350w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/sonja.jpg 368w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-17506\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Billy Wilson and Sonja van Beers in Jazz Nocturne<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While dancing with the Dutch National Ballet, Wilson met and danced in many ballets with Sonja van Beers. Some of their most notable works include <em>Jazz Nocturne<\/em> choreographed by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2020\/12\/18\/arthur-mitchells-orbit-karel-shook\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Karel Shook<\/a><\/strong>, <em>Suite en blanc<\/em> choreographed by Serge Lifar, and <em>The Four Temperaments<\/em> choreographed by <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2020\/12\/20\/george-balanchine\/\">George Balanchine<\/a><\/strong>. They married in 1965 in the Netherlands, but soon returned to the United States. Upon returning United States, Sonja and Billy created their own dance company in Boston but was short-lived.\u00a0 They had two children, Alexis and Parker. Their relationship did not last, and Billy took on a new lover, Chip Garnett, with whom he would raise his children. Van Beers did not stay in contact with Billy or her children after the divorce.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Sources:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/01\/17\/billy-wilson-and-arthur-mitchell-dance-theatre-of-harlem\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Arthur Mitchell &amp; Sydney King\u2019s Orbits: Billy Wilson, MOBBallet<\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.notsoblackandwhite.com\/family\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Family, ALEXIS WILSON<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.operaballet.nl\/de-geschiedenis-van-het-nationale-ballet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">De geschiedenis van Het Nationale Ballet, Het Nationale Ballet<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/theaterencyclopedie.nl\/wiki\/Sonja_van_Beers\">Sonja van Beers, Theater Encyclopedie<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-12800\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/starflare.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"120\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/starflare.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/starflare-800x48.jpg 800w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/starflare-300x18.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/starflare-1024x61.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/starflare-768x46.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/starflare-1536x92.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/starflare-830x50.jpg 830w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/starflare-230x14.jpg 230w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/starflare-350x21.jpg 350w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/starflare-480x29.jpg 480w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/starflare-600x36.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><strong>More about Sonja van Beers<\/strong><\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_18609\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-18609\" style=\"width: 351px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-18609\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/sonja3.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"351\" height=\"274\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/sonja3.jpeg 1000w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/sonja3-800x624.jpeg 800w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/sonja3-300x234.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/sonja3-768x599.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/sonja3-920x718.jpeg 920w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/sonja3-230x179.jpeg 230w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/sonja3-350x273.jpeg 350w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/sonja3-480x374.jpeg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 351px) 100vw, 351px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-18609\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sonja and Billy dancing with their company the Dance Theater of Boston<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sonja van Beers was a Dutch prima ballerina for the Dutch National Ballet until 1964. She began with the Nederlands Ballet in 1954, and continued with the company when it merged with the Amsterdam Ballet to form the Dutch National Ballet. Wilson has stated that he \u201chad never seen anyone dance as beautifully as Sonja.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Sources:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.10tv.com\/article\/news\/columbus-woman-recounts-growing-interracial-parents-gay-father\/530-3c684705-0e2c-4210-bcbe-1366302d1464\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Columbus Woman Recounts Growing Up With Interracial Parents, Gay Father, 10 WBNS<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/ms-my.facebook.com\/152ndstblackballetlegacy\/videos\/a-celebration-of-the-life-of-billy-wilson-dancer-choreographer-director-educator\/646288982979979\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A Celebration of the Life of Billy Wilson, dancer, choreographer, director, educator, Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-7970\" src=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ecqwzc9kfodquipd9zpb.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ecqwzc9kfodquipd9zpb.jpg 600w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ecqwzc9kfodquipd9zpb-420x420.jpg 420w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ecqwzc9kfodquipd9zpb-100x100.jpg 100w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ecqwzc9kfodquipd9zpb-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ecqwzc9kfodquipd9zpb-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ecqwzc9kfodquipd9zpb-230x230.jpg 230w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ecqwzc9kfodquipd9zpb-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/mobballet.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/ecqwzc9kfodquipd9zpb-480x480.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\" \/>\u00a0 \u00a0 Elaine Yu<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Billy Wilson and Sonja van Beers While dancing with the Dutch National Ballet, Wilson met and danced in many ballets with Sonja [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":134,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"universe-template.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[302,253],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-billy-wilson-constellation","category-universe"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/134"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17530"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17530\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18827,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17530\/revisions\/18827"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}